As a result of Hurricane Lili Lafayette Parish hired contractors to repair the damage to the electrical distribution system throughout the Parish. Extreme damage to the electrical distribution system caused major power outages to residents being served in the area.

The total cost for the repairs is $5,274,442. FEMA is providing $3,955,831 (75%), with the remaining $1,318,610 (25%) to be covered by the state and the parish.

"The approval of this grant, which will get Lafayette Parish electrical service back to pre-hurricane conditions, is a big step forward," said Art Jones, state coordinating officer for Louisiana. "Working together, our commitment to get everyone affected by the storm back into a settled life is this much closer."

"Our Public Assistance program is another example of the strong working partnership between the state of Louisiana and FEMA," said Allbaugh. "We remain committed to helping Louisiana recover from Hurricane Lili."

Funds are available under the FEMA Public Assistance Program, and are administered by the State of Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness. Under this program, eligible disaster-related costs are reimbursed to government, tribal and certain non-profit entities, in the areas of emergency protective measures, debris removal and restoration of public facilities.